Cockatoo Ed.

[platypus]

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Meet Ed. Ed is a charming Australia native bird, or is he?. Ed turned up, uninvited, in my backyard a few weeks ago and proceeded to become a nagging, demanding, nuisance and unbelievably relentless.

Ed is so overconfident that I suspect he may have been a pet cocky at some stage in his career, but has escaped or been released, to live life on the wild side. Ed is utterly lazy and spoilt and doesn't see why

he should have to forage for himself, he hangs around the kitchen door until I give up and put out seed for him, as soon as that is gone he nags for more. Cockatoos, along with being long lived (100 + years) are naturally

inclined to be very destructive, particularly when bored, and they are always bored if not eating. Ed will trash anything he can get hold of, he rips garden hoses into shreds, chews through TV cables and chucks around

anything he can pick up. Plus he and his equally badly behaved cockatoo mates, who are along for the ride, are costing a fortune in birdseed.

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[Karl G]

He is lovely, a real character, and I would be delighted to share my life with such a PITA. Wonderful story and picture of this charming fellow.

[pauledell]

Dee,

 

A fine bird that needs a little reassurance that he is a nice guy. You have not babied him enough. If you read the child psycho books, they will tell you to give in to their every whim or they will throw tantrums and be mean. This guy is the same way, I'm sure.

 

Paul

[rpsawin]

And a handsome lad to boot!

[stuny]

Dee -

A lovely shot. I think it was in the Eastern Kimberly when we heard an incredibly loud racket near a river, and a one or two kilometer walk further revealed a mob of sulfur crested cockies. Many people make pets of them and of countless members of their parrot species relatives, only to find the birds require a huge amount of attention and company. Ed's former keepers probably discovered that the hard way and set him free. I have no idea if anyone has ever domesticated the New Zealand kea, but it is even more wily and destructive than cockies.

[Brenton C]

A lovely shot indeed, and I dare say, one more lovely shot and your problem is solved.

 

Ohhhh.... I'm joking, of course. Maybe. ;-)

[platypus]

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A lovely shot indeed, and I dare say, one more lovely shot and your problem is solved.

 

Ohhhh.... I'm joking, of course. Maybe. ;-)

 

Ah! but don't think I haven't been tempted. It cost $600 to have my wireless broadband antenna cable replaced.

[Northwest Wanderer]

Dee,

 

Looks like you will be making some modifications to your home if Ed sticks around. It seems he is testing you to see what he can get away with. Smart bird, maybe too smart for his own good.

[newnew]

well .. Ed seems to be an expert to detect the Leica users with apo summicron who could feed him for life

Maybe you should use some flash to scare him away !

[andkeen]

What a fine fellow, despite his drawbacks. But then none of us is perfect:)

[fotografr]

Based on your description, it's no wonder somebody turned the nasty little buggar out. Well, at least he's repaying your kindness by posing for photos.

[platypus]

Based on your description, it's no wonder somebody turned the nasty little buggar out. Well, at least he's repaying your kindness by posing for photos.

 

It would be nice to think he had a shred of gratitude in him, however he wasn't posing, merely

eyeballing the kitchen door in an attempt to coerce me into feeding him for a second time

that morning. He'd already scoffed most of the seed put out for the Rosellas and finches.

Worse still his success is attracting others of his kind, this morning there were six of them lining up.

[stuny]

Yikes!

 

I wonder if there is something you can do similar to this: Where I used to live racoons would get into our trash bins. I found that sprinkling cayanne powder on the tops stopped them from raiding the bins.

[platypus]

Yikes!

 

I wonder if there is something you can do similar to this: Where I used to live racoons would get into our trash bins. I found that sprinkling cayanne powder on the tops stopped them from raiding the bins.

 

Thank you for the great suggestion Stuart! But I hesitate to do anything to deter Ed that would also affect the other birds that come to the seed trays.

I'm pretty sure he knows he has me where he wants me too, they are scarily intuitive birds.

I think too that once you give an animal (or bird) a name you somehow become it's protector for better or worse. I think I'm just going to have to continue to

grin and bear Ed and put up with his bad manners as best I can.

[Brenton C]

. . . six more beautiful shots and . . . .

 

Seriously, I wonder if there's something you could put in the seed. Not so it kills them but maybe just turns their stomaches a bit. Might encourage them to leave without the property destroying protest you'll get if you stop feeding them.

 

Next in line, is there an animal control dept. that takes responsibility for this stuff? Buggers have damaged your hose already after all.

[Northwest Wanderer]

Thank you for the great suggestion Stuart! But I hesitate to do anything to deter Ed that would also affect the other birds that come to the seed trays.

I'm pretty sure he knows he has me where he wants me too, they are scarily intuitive birds.

I think too that once you give an animal (or bird) a name you somehow become it's protector for better or worse. I think I'm just going to have to continue to

grin and bear Ed and put up with his bad manners as best I can.

 

Dee,

After the unfortunate death of your magpie friend, I can understand your cutting Ed some slack. We share the earth with all its creatures so why not enjoy them when possible. Hope you and Ed come to an understanding of sorts.

[platypus]

Thanks guys, I really appreciate your helpful suggestions and support ongoing!

 

Brenton,

this being rural Oz there's nobody to take care of animal control but us country folk, but I do like the concept!

 

Bill,

I'm just such a pushover where any animal (or bird) is concerned that Ed has the upper hand (claw) so he wins!

By the way, a pair of magpies have recently moved into the garden, they are still quite wild and haven't yet worked out that

there is mince meat to be had for the asking.....they probably will when winter rolls around, that's usually the way it works.

[Northwest Wanderer]

Dee,

I figured you to be a kind soul to birds and animals. I imagine Ed is set to take over.

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[allamande]

Dee,

 

He looks too adorable to be doing all these nasty things...I can see why you put up with him. How can anyone resist?

 

Glad to know that you have new magpie residents in your garden. I hope they can work their way to the front of your lens someday.

 

Ece

[platypus]

Ece,

He does look cute doesn't he! Don't be fooled.....just about nothing else can be as much a monster as a spoilt, half-tame cockatoo.

Cockatoos have more brains than the average bird and once they become semi-domesticated they learn to use therm, and not always

in good ways. Ed has a huge sense of entitlement and becomes petulant very quickly if his needs are not met. I was out for most of the day

yesterday and came back to a mess of things strewn around the back door, he'd picked up and tossed anything he could get his beak on,

simply because I wasn't there to put seed out in the early afternoon, in line with his perceived schedule! Things are back to normal this morning;

as I write this I can hear him happily crunching sunflower seed and corn.